You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go I’ve seen love go by my door
It’s never been this close before Never been so easy or so slow Been shooting in the dark too long When somethin’s not right it’s wrong Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Dragon clouds so high above I’ve only known careless love It’s always hit me from below This time around it’s more correct Right on target, so direct Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Purple clover, Queen Anne’s Lace Crimson hair across your face You could make me cry if you don’t know Can’t remember what I was thinkin’ of You might be spoilin’ me too much, love Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Flowers on the hillside, bloomin’ crazy Crickets talkin’ back and forth in rhyme Blue river runnin’ slow and lazy I could stay with you forever and never realize the time
Situations have ended sad Relationships have all been bad Mine’ve been like Verlaine’s and Rimbaud But there’s no way I can compare All those scenes to this affair Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Yer gonna make me wonder what I’m doin’ Stayin’ far behind without you Yer gonna make me wonder what I’m sayin’ Yer gonna make me give myself a good talkin’ to
I’ll look for you in old Honolulu San Francisco, Ashtabula Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know But I’ll see you in the sky above In the tall grass, in the ones I love Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Explication:
So when first looking at these song lyrics, I assumed that Bob Dylan was speaking about a current love affair that he was having, but when I looked more closely at the words I realized that he was saying a final goodbye to his lover that is about to pass away. Dylan uses a standard rhyme scheme and follows a simple iambic rhythm, however, there is usually a line or two that is off the rhyme or rhythm which he meant to emphasize.
In the first stanza, Dylan exemplifies his current situation in that he has met many people before but never found one that clicked like this one does. By stating, "It's never been this close before," Dylan is clarifying to his lover that they are special and he feels a deep connection with them. He continues to explain to his lover that love is not easy, but with them he feels that it is. The fifth line is not iambic, and therefore expresses that if he believed it wasn't right he wouldn't have pursued this relationship.
The next stanza parallels his love for this person with nature, and brings it together that the two of them are logical and not just physical. He connects the "dragon clouds" to the "careless love" that he usually experiences. Clouds are ever-changing and characterizes how careless decisions are never stable like the clouds. However, he discusses that before he only chose relationships based on a feeling, "from below" whereas this time he directly knows and connects with this person on a level deeper than just the initial physical attraction. His emphasis on their love being "right on target, so direct" is another example of how passionate he feels for his lover who will be leaving him.
The next two stanzas, again, uses nature to emphasize the natural beauty of their love. He uses the imagery of flowers and the, "crimson hair across [their] face" to display his affection in a more tender way. Rather than connecting his lover to something passionate, he parallels them to the dainty flowers of the field which also goes back to the carefree vibe of nature that his love exudes.His repetitive images of nature and the relaxed emotions that they bring all lead up to his statement that he could, "stay with [them] forever and never realize the time" because he feels so at peace with them.
The fifth stanza talks about how he has never had an uncomplicated relationship, and that they never ended well. He compares his past relationships to that of "Verlaine's and Rimbaud" who are two poets that despite having a passionate love for one another, fought constantly and eventually ended in one shooting the other and the unharmed one going to jail. However, Dylan says, "there's no way I can compare all those scenes to this affair" which again shows how their relationship is more natural and fits perfectly for him.
His next stanza is him telling his lover that he isn't sure what he will do without them with him. That by him, "stayin' far behind without [them]" after they pass away will ultimately leave him unable to know what to do or what to say. That he will be very upset with himself for not being able to keep them with him longer. This stanza and the one before also are the only two stanzas that do not make a reference to nature, which is another way that he can emphasize their meaning of how he truly cares for this person and doesn't know what he'll do without them.
His last stanza states that he will search for them in the many places he goes but that he knows they're, "gonna have to leave [him] now". But that even though they are leaving him, he will be able to "see [them] in the sky above, in the tall grass, [and] in the one's [he] love[s]". So even though they will pass away, and he will miss them deeply, that their presence will still be around even though their physical body won't be. The song repeats that "[they're] gonna make [him] lonesome when [they] go" and that is his way of emphasizing his devoted love and how he wishes that they could stay forever.
Been so long since a strange woman has slept in my bed Look how sweet she sleeps, how free must be her dreams In another lifetime she must have owned the world, or been faithfully wed To some righteous king who wrote psalms beside moonlit streams
I and I In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives I and I One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Think I’ll go out and go for a walk Not much happenin’ here, nothin’ ever does Besides, if she wakes up now, she’ll just want me to talk I got nothin’ to say, ’specially about whatever was
I and I In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives I and I One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Took an untrodden path once, where the swift don’t win the race It goes to the worthy, who can divide the word of truth Took a stranger to teach me, to look into justice’s beautiful face And to see an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
I and I In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives I and I One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Outside of two men on a train platform there’s nobody in sight They’re waiting for spring to come, smoking down the track The world could come to an end tonight, but that’s all right She should still be there sleepin’ when I get back
I and I In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives I and I One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Noontime, and I’m still pushin’ myself along the road, the darkest part Into the narrow lanes, I can’t stumble or stay put Someone else is speakin’ with my mouth, but I’m listening only to my heart I’ve made shoes for everyone, even you, while I still go barefoot
I and I In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives I and I One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Explication:
When first reading the song lyrics, I was at a total loss at what the underlying meaning could be. But then I decided to do some research, and it appears the the phrase "I and I" is a nod to the Rastafarian attitude of a unity between God and man. Though Dylan was a known Christian-Judeo follower, this song references both the Old Testament sentiments and the Rastafarian beliefs.
The first stanza opens with Dylan saying he is sleeping with a woman other than his wife, and that he hasn't had this happen in a very long time. He continues to express and use imagery about how peaceful she looks while sleeping, and how she must be "free" in her dreams unlike his reality of feeling like he must do certain things a certain way. In some cases, marriage can seem like a lock and key with no freedom. Her presence makes him feel free. He then makes a reference to the bible in that she must have "been faithfully wed to some righteous king who wrote psalms beside the moonlit streams". This establishes a connection between his reality and the title of the song.
The next stanza, after the chorus, elaborates on how repetitive the married life is...how "Not much [is] happenin' here". He decides to take a walk and that is his own form of freedom while she continues to sleep. Dylan states that if she woke up that she would only want to talk, and that is something he does not want to do. In a sense, this proves that he only wants her for the feeling of freedom rather than the emotional connection.
The third verse parallels his literal walk to a metaphorical one, following an "untrodden path". His remark about this path is that people here win based on their ability to live fair. He personifies justice as having a beautiful face that someone must be able to look into, which could show his guilt for sleeping with another woman. He doesn't know how to face his guilt himself, and must use a stranger to teach him.
The fourth verse displays two men at a train platform. This verse really confuses me because I'm not really sure where he is trying to connect the men who are waiting for spring. But I do think that it is interesting that he says this random situation, but then remarks that the girl in his bed would still be sleeping and that if the world ended tonight it wouldn't matter. This could suggest that he knows that there could be consequences for his actions, but that it doesn't really matter to him.
The last verse shows Dylan having to push himself along his untrodden road. It takes him to a dark, narrow section that could parallel or relate to the darkness of his actions or emotions. He could be unsure as to why he acted a certain way and that it seemed like a stranger did it when he says "Someone else is speakin' with my mouth". This is yet another biblical reference in that God used Moses as his voice, and Dylan could feel that he is spreading his word in a Moses-like fashion. Just as Jesus clothed the poor, Dylan says "I've made shoes for everyone...while I still go barefoot".
The chorus repeats the Rasta phrase of unity between God and man. It comments on how nature doesn't judge a person, it just lets you live. Which could explore the theory of why he took a walk through nature on his untrodden path. The last sentence says, "no man sees my face and lives", just as God would not let anyone see his face for he is Holy.
While riding on a train goin’ west I fell asleep for to take my rest I dreamed a dream that made me sad Concerning myself and the first few friends I had
With half-damp eyes I stared to the room Where my friends and I spent many an afternoon Where we together weathered many a storm Laughin’ and singin’ till the early hours of the morn
By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung Our words were told, our songs were sung Where we longed for nothin’ and were quite satisfied Talkin’ and a-jokin’ about the world outside
With haunted hearts through the heat and cold We never thought we could ever get old We thought we could sit forever in fun But our chances really was a million to one
As easy it was to tell black from white It was all that easy to tell wrong from right And our choices were few and the thought never hit That the one road we traveled would ever shatter and split
How many a year has passed and gone And many a gamble has been lost and won And many a road taken by many a friend And each one I’ve never seen again
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain That we could sit simply in that room again Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat I’d give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
Explication:
This song hit home because within the next month and a half, our grade will be graduating to separate lives in different directions. In this song, Dylan reminisces on his friendships of his youth and how much he misses them.
The first stanza sets up the setting for the rest of the song. He starts by saying that while he is on a trip he falls asleep and has a dream about his friends of his childhood...or in our case high school. This first stanza explains why he titles his song "Bob Dylan's Dream" and displays his mood towards the topic. He says that he had "a dream that made me sad", showing he misses his old friendships.
The next two stanzas go into the details of the dream. Again, exemplifying his mood by saying he stared into a room "with half-damp eyes" expressing his sadness. This room was where he and his friends used to hang out together, where they experienced the many obstacles of growing up and the many laughs of youth. He details how their innocence of youth made them feel carefree and invincible, like anything was possible for them.
The next two stanzas then express how at their age things were easy to distinguish and they were not so caught up with wondering if people were being deceitful. But also, the connection between the ability to "tell black from white" and "to tell wrong from right" displays the racial segregation of his childhood. Again, he expresses how he and his friends believed that things would always be optimistic and that they would never split from one another as "the one road [they] traveled would shatter and split".
The last two stanzas are now present rather than him reflecting within his dream. Dylan now expresses how he hasn't seen his old friends after the many years apart. He wishes that he could see them again and to return to the carefree days of their youth, even give up all the wealth he has earned through his career in order to return to the uncomplicated years before. His reference to gaining money really fast, but says he would give it all away just to be able to not have stresses of adulthood.
This song explores the emotions that one feels leaving people behind. How we think that in the beginning, we will be friends forever, only to become distant as we forge our own paths. Dylan's song evokes emotions about the present reflecting upon the past, and the differences between the innocent and the knowing.
This is a link of Bob Dylan preforming live at New York's town hall in 1963.
Well I'm looking the world over Looking far off into the East And I see my baby coming She's walking with the village priest I feel a change coming on And the last part of the day is already gone
We got so much in common We strive for the same old ends And I just can't wait Wait for us to become friends I feel a change coming on And the fourth part of the day is already gone
Life is for love And they say that love is blind If you want to live easy Baby pack your clothes with mine I feel a change coming on And the fourth part of the day is already gone
Well now what's the use in dreamin' You got better things to do Dreams never did work for me anyway Even when they did come true
You are as whorish as ever Baby you could start a fire I must be losing my mind You're the object of my desire I feel a change coming on And the fourth part of the day is already gone
I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver And I'm reading James Joyce Some people they tell me I got the blood of the land in my voice
Everybody got all the money Everybody got all the beautiful clothes Everybody got all the flowers I don't have one single rose I feel a change coming on And the fourth part of the day is already gone
Explication:
Bob Dylan's "I Feel A Change Comin' On" can be expressed as a song exploring Dylan's idea that everyone is ever-changing. But some of his references lead me to believe that he is talking about a wedding...or maybe this song is expressing his change in thinking about love. That maybe he used to only want carefree relationships and now he is willing to watch a girl "walking with the village priest".
The first stanza sets up the scene for Dylan's expression on change and what change is to him in his own terms. He is looking off into the East...this is where the sun rises which could be a metaphor for new beginnings. In the east he sees his "baby coming" with the village priest. At this moment he feels something is going to change, potentially his marital status, or his life in general.
The next stanza continues to describe his relationship with this woman, and about how they are more than a physical thing but he respects her for them having "so much in common". He wants them to "become friends" which suggests that the relationship is on an emotional level, which is different than his previous relationships. Also in this stanza he changes the last line from "the last part of the day" to "the fourth part of the day". This change could suggest that instead of it nearing the end of his life, it is just another chapter.
The third stanza discusses his views on love. He tells his lover that "life is for love". But he also says that "love is blind" and maybe this suggests that he doesn't really know the girl he is falling for. Now that I think about it...his use of saying he "just can't wait...to become friends" and the reference to blindness could be that he doesn't know this girl very well but that he could see her as someone he would want to marry.
The fourth and sixth stanzas are the only ones that do not have the lines "I feel a change coming on and the fourth part of the day is already gone". This demonstrates his emphasis on these two stanzas. The fourth one talks about dreaming. He tells this girl that "dreams never did work for me anyway" and that he wants to be in reality with her. Could this suggest that he doesn't need drugs to feel like he's in a dream state with her? That she is enough for him? The sixth stanza references Billy Joe Shaver and James Joyce. Apparently, he has never met Billy Joe Shaver who is a key mover in the "outlaw country" scene. But had respect for him as an artist and therefore made a sort of 'shout out' to him. He also makes a reference to James Joyce who is an Irish novelist who has perfected the stream of consciousness technique in his writing, which could also parallel Dylan's references to dreams. I'm a little confused by what Dylan means by "I got the blood of the land in my voice", but maybe it suggests the struggle he has gone through and the experiences he has endured until this point in his life.
The fifth stanza puts his object of affection into more crude terms. He tells her that she is "as whorish as ever" and that she is the "object of his desire". This again could show that he is just meeting her, because he feels this strong physical attraction to her. So he has been able to connect her on both an emotional and physical level.
The last stanza talks about the riches that people have obtained, and yet he doesn't have any. But he feels "a change coming on", and there is going to be a change in his fortunes. Maybe, perhaps, when it comes to love.
here is Bob Dylan singing "I Feel A Change Comin' On"
I’ve seen love go by my door
It’s never been this close before
Never been so easy or so slow
Been shooting in the dark too long
When somethin’s not right it’s wrong
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Dragon clouds so high above
I’ve only known careless love
It’s always hit me from below
This time around it’s more correct
Right on target, so direct
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Purple clover, Queen Anne’s Lace
Crimson hair across your face
You could make me cry if you don’t know
Can’t remember what I was thinkin’ of
You might be spoilin’ me too much, love
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Flowers on the hillside, bloomin’ crazy
Crickets talkin’ back and forth in rhyme
Blue river runnin’ slow and lazy
I could stay with you forever and never realize the time
Situations have ended sad
Relationships have all been bad
Mine’ve been like Verlaine’s and Rimbaud
But there’s no way I can compare
All those scenes to this affair
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Yer gonna make me wonder what I’m doin’
Stayin’ far behind without you
Yer gonna make me wonder what I’m sayin’
Yer gonna make me give myself a good talkin’ to
I’ll look for you in old Honolulu
San Francisco, Ashtabula
Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know
But I’ll see you in the sky above
In the tall grass, in the ones I love
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go
Explication:
So when first looking at these song lyrics, I assumed that Bob Dylan was speaking about a current love affair that he was having, but when I looked more closely at the words I realized that he was saying a final goodbye to his lover that is about to pass away. Dylan uses a standard rhyme scheme and follows a simple iambic rhythm, however, there is usually a line or two that is off the rhyme or rhythm which he meant to emphasize.
In the first stanza, Dylan exemplifies his current situation in that he has met many people before but never found one that clicked like this one does. By stating, "It's never been this close before," Dylan is clarifying to his lover that they are special and he feels a deep connection with them. He continues to explain to his lover that love is not easy, but with them he feels that it is. The fifth line is not iambic, and therefore expresses that if he believed it wasn't right he wouldn't have pursued this relationship.
The next stanza parallels his love for this person with nature, and brings it together that the two of them are logical and not just physical. He connects the "dragon clouds" to the "careless love" that he usually experiences. Clouds are ever-changing and characterizes how careless decisions are never stable like the clouds. However, he discusses that before he only chose relationships based on a feeling, "from below" whereas this time he directly knows and connects with this person on a level deeper than just the initial physical attraction. His emphasis on their love being "right on target, so direct" is another example of how passionate he feels for his lover who will be leaving him.
The next two stanzas, again, uses nature to emphasize the natural beauty of their love. He uses the imagery of flowers and the, "crimson hair across [their] face" to display his affection in a more tender way. Rather than connecting his lover to something passionate, he parallels them to the dainty flowers of the field which also goes back to the carefree vibe of nature that his love exudes.His repetitive images of nature and the relaxed emotions that they bring all lead up to his statement that he could, "stay with [them] forever and never realize the time" because he feels so at peace with them.
The fifth stanza talks about how he has never had an uncomplicated relationship, and that they never ended well. He compares his past relationships to that of "Verlaine's and Rimbaud" who are two poets that despite having a passionate love for one another, fought constantly and eventually ended in one shooting the other and the unharmed one going to jail. However, Dylan says, "there's no way I can compare all those scenes to this affair" which again shows how their relationship is more natural and fits perfectly for him.
His next stanza is him telling his lover that he isn't sure what he will do without them with him. That by him, "stayin' far behind without [them]" after they pass away will ultimately leave him unable to know what to do or what to say. That he will be very upset with himself for not being able to keep them with him longer. This stanza and the one before also are the only two stanzas that do not make a reference to nature, which is another way that he can emphasize their meaning of how he truly cares for this person and doesn't know what he'll do without them.
His last stanza states that he will search for them in the many places he goes but that he knows they're, "gonna have to leave [him] now". But that even though they are leaving him, he will be able to "see [them] in the sky above, in the tall grass, [and] in the one's [he] love[s]". So even though they will pass away, and he will miss them deeply, that their presence will still be around even though their physical body won't be. The song repeats that "[they're] gonna make [him] lonesome when [they] go" and that is his way of emphasizing his devoted love and how he wishes that they could stay forever.
Compare the next two links... one is the original by Bob Dylan and the second is a cover done by Miley Cryus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWHDFk2Nyhk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI20c01S1Ug
I And I
Been so long since a strange woman has slept in my bed
Look how sweet she sleeps, how free must be her dreams
In another lifetime she must have owned the world, or been faithfully wed
To some righteous king who wrote psalms beside moonlit streams
I and I
In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives
I and I
One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Think I’ll go out and go for a walk
Not much happenin’ here, nothin’ ever does
Besides, if she wakes up now, she’ll just want me to talk
I got nothin’ to say, ’specially about whatever was
I and I
In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives
I and I
One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Took an untrodden path once, where the swift don’t win the race
It goes to the worthy, who can divide the word of truth
Took a stranger to teach me, to look into justice’s beautiful face
And to see an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
I and I
In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives
I and I
One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Outside of two men on a train platform there’s nobody in sight
They’re waiting for spring to come, smoking down the track
The world could come to an end tonight, but that’s all right
She should still be there sleepin’ when I get back
I and I
In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives
I and I
One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Noontime, and I’m still pushin’ myself along the road, the darkest part
Into the narrow lanes, I can’t stumble or stay put
Someone else is speakin’ with my mouth, but I’m listening only to my heart
I’ve made shoes for everyone, even you, while I still go barefoot
I and I
In creation where one’s nature neither honors nor forgives
I and I
One says to the other, no man sees my face and lives
Explication:
When first reading the song lyrics, I was at a total loss at what the underlying meaning could be. But then I decided to do some research, and it appears the the phrase "I and I" is a nod to the Rastafarian attitude of a unity between God and man. Though Dylan was a known Christian-Judeo follower, this song references both the Old Testament sentiments and the Rastafarian beliefs.
The first stanza opens with Dylan saying he is sleeping with a woman other than his wife, and that he hasn't had this happen in a very long time. He continues to express and use imagery about how peaceful she looks while sleeping, and how she must be "free" in her dreams unlike his reality of feeling like he must do certain things a certain way. In some cases, marriage can seem like a lock and key with no freedom. Her presence makes him feel free. He then makes a reference to the bible in that she must have "been faithfully wed to some righteous king who wrote psalms beside the moonlit streams". This establishes a connection between his reality and the title of the song.
The next stanza, after the chorus, elaborates on how repetitive the married life is...how "Not much [is] happenin' here". He decides to take a walk and that is his own form of freedom while she continues to sleep. Dylan states that if she woke up that she would only want to talk, and that is something he does not want to do. In a sense, this proves that he only wants her for the feeling of freedom rather than the emotional connection.
The third verse parallels his literal walk to a metaphorical one, following an "untrodden path". His remark about this path is that people here win based on their ability to live fair. He personifies justice as having a beautiful face that someone must be able to look into, which could show his guilt for sleeping with another woman. He doesn't know how to face his guilt himself, and must use a stranger to teach him.
The fourth verse displays two men at a train platform. This verse really confuses me because I'm not really sure where he is trying to connect the men who are waiting for spring. But I do think that it is interesting that he says this random situation, but then remarks that the girl in his bed would still be sleeping and that if the world ended tonight it wouldn't matter. This could suggest that he knows that there could be consequences for his actions, but that it doesn't really matter to him.
The last verse shows Dylan having to push himself along his untrodden road. It takes him to a dark, narrow section that could parallel or relate to the darkness of his actions or emotions. He could be unsure as to why he acted a certain way and that it seemed like a stranger did it when he says "Someone else is speakin' with my mouth". This is yet another biblical reference in that God used Moses as his voice, and Dylan could feel that he is spreading his word in a Moses-like fashion. Just as Jesus clothed the poor, Dylan says "I've made shoes for everyone...while I still go barefoot".
The chorus repeats the Rasta phrase of unity between God and man. It comments on how nature doesn't judge a person, it just lets you live. Which could explore the theory of why he took a walk through nature on his untrodden path. The last sentence says, "no man sees my face and lives", just as God would not let anyone see his face for he is Holy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvtx8MAtEMY&feature=related
there was no original version on youtube, so here is a cover song of Dylan
Bob Dylan's Dream
While riding on a train goin’ west
I fell asleep for to take my rest
I dreamed a dream that made me sad
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had
With half-damp eyes I stared to the room
Where my friends and I spent many an afternoon
Where we together weathered many a storm
Laughin’ and singin’ till the early hours of the morn
By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung
Our words were told, our songs were sung
Where we longed for nothin’ and were quite satisfied
Talkin’ and a-jokin’ about the world outside
With haunted hearts through the heat and cold
We never thought we could ever get old
We thought we could sit forever in fun
But our chances really was a million to one
As easy it was to tell black from white
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
And our choices were few and the thought never hit
That the one road we traveled would ever shatter and split
How many a year has passed and gone
And many a gamble has been lost and won
And many a road taken by many a friend
And each one I’ve never seen again
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
That we could sit simply in that room again
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
I’d give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
Explication:
This song hit home because within the next month and a half, our grade will be graduating to separate lives in different directions. In this song, Dylan reminisces on his friendships of his youth and how much he misses them.
The first stanza sets up the setting for the rest of the song. He starts by saying that while he is on a trip he falls asleep and has a dream about his friends of his childhood...or in our case high school. This first stanza explains why he titles his song "Bob Dylan's Dream" and displays his mood towards the topic. He says that he had "a dream that made me sad", showing he misses his old friendships.
The next two stanzas go into the details of the dream. Again, exemplifying his mood by saying he stared into a room "with half-damp eyes" expressing his sadness. This room was where he and his friends used to hang out together, where they experienced the many obstacles of growing up and the many laughs of youth. He details how their innocence of youth made them feel carefree and invincible, like anything was possible for them.
The next two stanzas then express how at their age things were easy to distinguish and they were not so caught up with wondering if people were being deceitful. But also, the connection between the ability to "tell black from white" and "to tell wrong from right" displays the racial segregation of his childhood. Again, he expresses how he and his friends believed that things would always be optimistic and that they would never split from one another as "the one road [they] traveled would shatter and split".
The last two stanzas are now present rather than him reflecting within his dream. Dylan now expresses how he hasn't seen his old friends after the many years apart. He wishes that he could see them again and to return to the carefree days of their youth, even give up all the wealth he has earned through his career in order to return to the uncomplicated years before. His reference to gaining money really fast, but says he would give it all away just to be able to not have stresses of adulthood.
This song explores the emotions that one feels leaving people behind. How we think that in the beginning, we will be friends forever, only to become distant as we forge our own paths. Dylan's song evokes emotions about the present reflecting upon the past, and the differences between the innocent and the knowing.
This is a link of Bob Dylan preforming live at New York's town hall in 1963.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTdZHC4McRU
I Feel a Change Comin' On
Well I'm looking the world over
Looking far off into the East
And I see my baby coming
She's walking with the village priest
I feel a change coming on
And the last part of the day is already gone
We got so much in common
We strive for the same old ends
And I just can't wait
Wait for us to become friends
I feel a change coming on
And the fourth part of the day is already gone
Life is for love
And they say that love is blind
If you want to live easy
Baby pack your clothes with mine
I feel a change coming on
And the fourth part of the day is already gone
Well now what's the use in dreamin'
You got better things to do
Dreams never did work for me anyway
Even when they did come true
You are as whorish as ever
Baby you could start a fire
I must be losing my mind
You're the object of my desire
I feel a change coming on
And the fourth part of the day is already gone
I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver
And I'm reading James Joyce
Some people they tell me
I got the blood of the land in my voice
Everybody got all the money
Everybody got all the beautiful clothes
Everybody got all the flowers
I don't have one single rose
I feel a change coming on
And the fourth part of the day is already gone
Explication:
Bob Dylan's "I Feel A Change Comin' On" can be expressed as a song exploring Dylan's idea that everyone is ever-changing. But some of his references lead me to believe that he is talking about a wedding...or maybe this song is expressing his change in thinking about love. That maybe he used to only want carefree relationships and now he is willing to watch a girl "walking with the village priest".
The first stanza sets up the scene for Dylan's expression on change and what change is to him in his own terms. He is looking off into the East...this is where the sun rises which could be a metaphor for new beginnings. In the east he sees his "baby coming" with the village priest. At this moment he feels something is going to change, potentially his marital status, or his life in general.
The next stanza continues to describe his relationship with this woman, and about how they are more than a physical thing but he respects her for them having "so much in common". He wants them to "become friends" which suggests that the relationship is on an emotional level, which is different than his previous relationships. Also in this stanza he changes the last line from "the last part of the day" to "the fourth part of the day". This change could suggest that instead of it nearing the end of his life, it is just another chapter.
The third stanza discusses his views on love. He tells his lover that "life is for love". But he also says that "love is blind" and maybe this suggests that he doesn't really know the girl he is falling for. Now that I think about it...his use of saying he "just can't wait...to become friends" and the reference to blindness could be that he doesn't know this girl very well but that he could see her as someone he would want to marry.
The fourth and sixth stanzas are the only ones that do not have the lines "I feel a change coming on and the fourth part of the day is already gone". This demonstrates his emphasis on these two stanzas. The fourth one talks about dreaming. He tells this girl that "dreams never did work for me anyway" and that he wants to be in reality with her. Could this suggest that he doesn't need drugs to feel like he's in a dream state with her? That she is enough for him? The sixth stanza references Billy Joe Shaver and James Joyce. Apparently, he has never met Billy Joe Shaver who is a key mover in the "outlaw country" scene. But had respect for him as an artist and therefore made a sort of 'shout out' to him. He also makes a reference to James Joyce who is an Irish novelist who has perfected the stream of consciousness technique in his writing, which could also parallel Dylan's references to dreams. I'm a little confused by what Dylan means by "I got the blood of the land in my voice", but maybe it suggests the struggle he has gone through and the experiences he has endured until this point in his life.
The fifth stanza puts his object of affection into more crude terms. He tells her that she is "as whorish as ever" and that she is the "object of his desire". This again could show that he is just meeting her, because he feels this strong physical attraction to her. So he has been able to connect her on both an emotional and physical level.
The last stanza talks about the riches that people have obtained, and yet he doesn't have any. But he feels "a change coming on", and there is going to be a change in his fortunes. Maybe, perhaps, when it comes to love.
here is Bob Dylan singing "I Feel A Change Comin' On"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqnwaNr5VWw